West Chester receives Sterling Award from National Arbor Day Foundation

The community has been a Tree City USA for 21 years.

West Chester, PA -- The National Arbor Day Foundation has awarded the Borough of West Chester the prestigious Sterling Award in recognition of ten years of participation in the Tree City USA Growth Award Program. Communities receive the award that go beyond the four standards of Tree City USA and accumulate points from a list of projects that demonstrate improvement and growth of local tree care. West Chester is the only Pennsylvania community to receive the Sterling Award this year. It was in recognition of an aggressive tree planting program from 1989 to 2009 when more than 3,000 trees were planted.

* * *The Tree City USA® program, sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, provides direction, technical assistance, public attention, and national recognition for urban and community forestry programs in thousands of towns and cities that more than 135 million Americans call home.

The many benefits of being a Tree City include creating a framework for action, education, a positive public image, and citizen pride.

To qualify as a Tree City USA community, a community must meet four standards established by The Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters. These standards were established to ensure that every qualifying community would have a viable tree management plan and program.